'It was my first and only experience with meningitis,' says nursery nurse Debbie Smith, 'and touch wood it will be my last.'
Debbie is referring to the day in early January 2005 when baby Katie fell ill with baffling symptoms on only her second stay at Three Bears Nursery in Renfrew, Scotland. What followed is a reminder of how quickly a child can become ill and how difficult it can be to recognise the disease. The alertness of staff at Three Bears ensured the five-month-old girl was quickly taken to hospital. Katie made a full recovery from a case of meningococcal septicaemia, an infection of the blood commonly known as blood poisoning. It's one of the most dangerous forms of meningitis.
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